If incidents are also reported, they may provide police with useful information which can be used to avoid future crimes.

What about getting a court sentence increase for hate crimes?

The Criminal justice system takes hate crime very seriously. The police and CPS disability hate crime flags (markers) are applied when someone, whether they are the victim, witness, police officer, prosecutor, or any other person, thinks that a crime is a disability hate crime.

This ensures that the police and CPS apply correct policies and handle cases appropriately. However, in order for the court to accept that an offence is a hate crime, there must be sufficient evidence of hostility based on the above factors presented to it at the sentencing stage.

Where there is sufficient evidence, section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act

2003 provide that where an offence is motivated by hostility based on

disability or perceived disability, the court must state this as an aggravating factor at the sentencing stage.